New Masters Course for Enhancing Industrial Competitiveness In today's competitive industrial environment, it has become evermore essential that companies acquire a broad and in-depth expertise in the various aspects of product development. Product function and design, product materials and manufacture, product use, marketing, costing, and business management need to be considered within one integrated product development (IPD) approach. An understanding of IPD can help companies reduce time to market, improve the quality of a product, save costs, and provide process improvement. Such objectives are necessary both for companies already based in Malta as well as to have a skilled workforce to attract further foreign direct investment.

Within this perspective, the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Malta, with the participation of the Faculty of Economics, Management and Accountancy, will be launching a new Master of Science course in Integrated Product Development as from October 2005. This interdisciplinary taught course is built on the three fundamental pillars of Product Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering and Engineering Management. The course curriculum has been purposely designed to give participants a thorough grounding in the use and integration of design methods, manufacturing processes, technology and engineering management for careers in developing, managing, leading and researching engineering projects.

The course is open to engineering and science graduates and will be run on a part-time evening basis, with a three-year duration. Further details can be found on the MSc website : www.eng.um.edu.mt/dme/MSC/msc.html or by emailing Dr Conrad Pace at  cmpace@eng.um.edu.mt.